Pattern discs

ABSTRACT

In an uncropped pattern element for a knitting machine which may be a pattern disc or a pattern wheel assembled from a plurality of pattern discs, the bits of the element are adherent to means which hold them captive to the pattern element and will retain them after the bits have been severed from the pattern element. The means for holding the bits may be a moldable material, for example wax or a synthetic plastics material, introduced between the bits or in which the bits are embedded. Alternatively, the means for holding the bits may comprise one or more sheets of flexible sheet material wrapped round the pattern element. A method of preparing a pattern element for a knitting machine is also described.

111 3,817,060 1 June 18, 1974 PATTERN DISCS [75] Inventors: Frederick Henry Carrotte, Kirby Muxloe; John Ernest Ellis, East Goscote, both of England [73] Assignee: Courtaulds Limited, London, England 22 Filed: May 26,1972

21 Appl.No.:257,273

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 2, 1971 Great Britain 40953/71 521 US. Cl. 66/156, 29/424 [51] Int. C]....- D04b 15/66 [58] Field of Search 66/154, 156,50 B, 50 A, 66/1 R; 83/14; 29/424; 161/213 [56] References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,936,519 5/1960 Blackman 29/424 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,215,008 12/1970 Great Britain 66/1 R OTHER PUBLICATIONS Carrotte, F., Kirkland Automatic Jacquard Pattern Preparation System, in Knitting Times, 40(49), p. 52-55, Nov. 29, 1971.

Primary Examiner-W. C Reynolds Assistant Emminer-Andrew M. Falik Attorney, Agent, or FirmDavis, Hoxie, Faithful &

Hapgood [5 7 ABSTRACT In an uncropped pattern element for a knitting machine which may be a pattern disc or a pattern wheel assembled from a plurality of pattern discs, the bits of the element are adherent to means which hold them captive to the pattern element and will retain them after the bits have been severed from the pattern element. The means for holding the bits may be a moldable material, for example wax or a synthetic plastics material, introduced between the: bits or in which the bits are embedded. Alternatively, themeans for holding the bits may comprise one or more sheets of flexible sheet material wrapped round the pattern element; A method of preparing a pattern element for a knitting machine is also described.

20 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 1 PATTERN DISCS This' invention relates to the production of pattern wheels for knitting machines.

The pattern wheel is the part of the knitting machine which carries information relating to the actions to be performed by the needles (knit, tuck, or miss) and which interacts with elements associated with the needles so as to position those elements so that they will cause the needles to carry out the described actions.

Commonly, a pattern wheel comprises a stack of pattern discs secured together on the same axis. From the periphery of each disc, and in the plane of the disc,

project teeth known as bits and the information to be carried on the pattern wheel is characterised by the presence or absence of bits on the pattern discs. In operation of the knitting machine, the pattern wheel is rotated and bits, or spaces where bits are absent, are successively presented to the elements referred to above. If a bit is presented to an element and comes into contact with it, the element is adjusted to take up a new position. If a space is presented to an element the element is not contacted by the pattern wheel and remains in its original position. In the original position, the element brings about one action of its associated needle and in the new position a different action of that needle.

The arrangement of, bits and spaces on a pattern disc is normally brought about by forming a disc with a full complement of bits about its periphery and subsequently breaking off (cropping) the unwanted bits from the disc. The cropping can be carried out on individual discs or groups of discs before the discs are assembled together in a pattern wheel or it can be carried out on the discs after assembly into a pattern wheel.

Hitherto, the bits have been allowed to fall freely away from the discs as they have been cropped and this invention is concerned with maintaining control over thebits after cropping so that they do not fall freely away from the associated discs but can be completely separated from the disc in a subsequent operation. Thereby the bitswill not, for example, fall into a machine used for cropping the discs. A example of a disc cropping machine is shownin British patent 1,215,008. The machine shown in that patent can crop discs prepared in accordance with the principles of this invention.

The term pattern element" is used in this specification as a generic term for a pattern disc and a pattern wheel, which comprises a plurality of pattern discs, and is to be interpreted as referring to a pattern disc or a pattern wheel or either of them as the context permits or requires.

The invention consists in an uncropped pattern element, bits of which are adherent to means which hold them captive to the pattern element and will retain them after the bits have been severed from the pattern element.

The invention also consists in a method of preparing a pattern element including the steps of causing bits of the element to adhere to means which hold them captive to the pattern element and will retain them after the bits have been severed from the pattern element, cropping bits on the pattern element, and subsequently removing the said retaining means to separate the cropped bits from the pattern element.

The said means may comprise material such as wax or a synthetic plastics material which may be introtern element. The sheet and/or the bitsmay be coated with an adhesive to cause the bits to adhere to the sheet material. Alternatively, the sheet material may be such that it can be treated, for example by heating, to cause the bits to adhere to it. If wax or a thermoplastic synthetic plastics material is used to retain the bits, they can be removed from the cropped pattern element by heating until the wax or synthetic plastics material is sufficiently liquid to release the captive bits. Alternatively, the wax or synthetic plastics material can be dissolved or softened by means of a solvent to cause it to release the bits.

If a flexible sheet is used to retain the bits, the sheet can be torn away from the pattern element with the cropped bits still adherent to it.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a first embodiment of an uncropped pattern wheel in accordance with the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of a mold containing a second embodiment of an uncropped pattern wheel in accordance with the invention.

In both Figures, there is shown a pattern wheel having a plurality of pattern discs 1 of annular configuration which are mounted on a right-circular cylindrical hub 2. The pattern discs 1 have conventional bits around their peripheries and are spaced apart axially along the hub 2 by annular spacers 3. The assembly of pattern discs 1 and spacers 3 is clamped against a shoulder 4 at one end of the hub 2 by an annularplate 5, the latter being secured to the end of the hub 2 remote from the shoulder 4 by a plurality of screws 6, only one of which is shown in the Figures. An annular spacer 8 of appropriate thickness is mounted on the hub 2 between the plate 5 and the assembly of discs 1 and spacers 3. Rotation of the discs 1 on the hub 2 is prevented by keys 7 inserted in a longitudinal groove 9 in the hub 2 and engaging slots 10 formed in the discs 1. The uncropped pattern wheel so far described is of a conventional design.

Referring now to FIG. '1, a piece 11 of flexible sheet material constituted by a hot melt film sold under the name Bostick" and designated Therrno grip 9104/20 is wrapped around the uncropped pattern wheel so as to contact all the bits at the peripheries of the discs 1. The piece 11 of film'has a width dimension slightly greater than the circumference of the discs 1, so that it overlaps, and a length dimension slightly greater than the distance between the uppermost and lowermost discs 1. The nature of the film is such that merely by wrapping it tightly on the pattern wheel and pressing the overlapping portions together, the film will be retained on the pattern wheel. The pattern wheel with the piece 11 of film on it is then placed in an oven at C and is left for 30 minutes. This causes the piece of film to shrink and to adhere to the bits on the pattern wheel, the film adopting the configuration shown in FIG. 1.

Instead of placing the pattern wheel and film in a hot oven, they may be subjected to the action of a stream of hot air.

The pattern wheel is then cropped, in a cropping machine. Such machines are available commercially.

The bits which are severed in the cropping machine do not fall away from the pattern wheel but are retained by the piece 11 of hot melt film because they are adherent to the film. The piece of film is then slit by a knife parallel to the axis of the pattern wheel and is peeled off or torn from the pattern wheel. The piece of film comes away cleanly from the uncropped bits, carrying with it the cropped bits which adhere to it.

The same procedure can be adopted in relation to a single pattern disc, a narrow strip of hot melt film being wrapped around the periphery of the disc and heat shrunk onto the bits.

FIG. 2 shows a method of manufacturing another embodiment of an uncropped pattern wheel in accordance with the invention in which a synthetic plastics material 12 is applied between the discs 1 of the pattern wheel so as to fill substantially all of the spaces between the discs and to adhere to the bits and to the spacers 3.

Conveniently, the synthetic plastics material 12 used is an air setting synthetic rubber solution, such as that known under the name Silkoset", with a foaming agent added. The pattern wheel is placed in a cylindrical mold 13 in which the pattern wheel is a close fit, with the lowermost disc 1 resting on the base 14 of the mold. Two thin metal bars 15 are mounted in diametrically opposed, longitudinal grooves 17 formed in the internal wall of the mold 13. Each bar 15 has a series of projecting tooth-like members 16 which project into, and substantially fill, the spaces between adjacent discs 1. The two bars 15 extend from the top to the bottom of the mold 113, but have been shown partially broken away in FIG. 2 in order to reveal the underlying structure. The two bars 15 thus divide the mold space into halves. The synthetic plastics material in liquid form with the foaming agent added is poured in to fill the mold l3 and the latter is closed by an annular cover 18 which bears against the upper edge of the mold and against the uppermost disc 1. The synthetic plastics material foams in the spaces between the discs 1 and adheres to the bits and to the spacers 3 of the pattern wheel. The synthetic plastics material is then left to set, the pattern wheel is removed from the mold and the metal bars 15 are removed, leaving the finished product.

On cropping the pattern wheel, the severed bits, which are adherent to the synthetic plastics material 12, are retained and do not fall away from the pattern wheel. After cropping, the two separate pieces of synthetic plastics material which together sheath the pattern wheel are peeled off bringing with them the severed bits.

Because the synthetic plastics material 12 is foamed, it is sufficiently compressible to allow the bending movement of one bit required to sever the bit to take place without causing an adjacent bit to be bent by transmission of force thereto from the bit which is being bent by the cropping machine in order to sever it.

Another embodiment of an uncropped pattern disc in accordance with the invention comprises a ring-shaped sheet of synthetic plastics material in the shape of a washer, which may be flexible or stiff, and which has an adhesive on one surface thereof. The ring has an outside diameter equal to the diameter of an uncropped pattern disc and an inside diameter equal to the diameter of the disc to the base of the bits. The ring is applied to one surface of the pattern disc so as to adhere to the bits of the disc. The pattern disc is then ready for cropping. A plurality of pattern discs with adhesive rings applied to them in the manner just described can be assembled to form a pattern wheel.

What is claimed is:

1. An uncropped pattern element for a knitting machine, which element comprises severable bits which are adherent to means which hold them captive to the pattern element and will retain them after the bits have been severed from the pattern element.

2. An uncropped pattern element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said means comprises a moldable material introduced between the bits or in which the bits are embedded.

3. An uncropped pattern element as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said material is wax.

4. An uncropped pattern element as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said material is a synthetic plastics material.

5. An uncropped pattern element as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said-means comprises at least one sheet of flexible sheet material wrapped round the pattern element.

6. An uncropped pattern element as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flexible sheet material has adhesive on at least one surface for adhering the bits to the sheet.

7. An uncropped pattern element as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flexible sheet material is a synthetic plastics material and has been caused to be adherent to the bits by heating the flexible sheet material.

8. A method of preparing a pattern element comprising severable bits for a knitting machine, including the steps of causing bits of the element to adhere to means which hold them captive to the pattern element and will retain them after the bits have been severed from the pattern element, cropping bits on the pattern element, and subsequently removing the said retaining means to separate the cropped bits from the pattern element.

9.A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the said means comprises a mouldable material and the method includes the step of introducing the mouldable material between the bits.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the said means comprises a moldable material and the method includes the step of embedding the bits in the mouldable material.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the moldable material is wax.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, including the step of heating the moldable material until it is sufficiently liquid to release the captive bits from the pattern element.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11, including the step of dissolving or softening the moldable material by means of a solvent to cause it to release the captive bits from the pattern element.

14. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the said means comprises at least one piece of flexible sheet material and the method includes the step of wrapping the piece round the pattern element.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the flexible sheet material has adhesive on at least one surface for adhering the bits to the sheet.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 including the step of heating the moldable material until it is sufticiently liquid to release the captive elements from the pattern element.

20. A method as claimed in claim 18, including the step of dissolving or softening the moldable material by means of a solvent to cause it to release the captive bits from the pattern element. 

1. An uncropped pattern element for a knittiNg machine, which element comprises severable bits which are adherent to means which hold them captive to the pattern element and will retain them after the bits have been severed from the pattern element.
 2. An uncropped pattern element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said means comprises a moldable material introduced between the bits or in which the bits are embedded.
 3. An uncropped pattern element as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said material is wax.
 4. An uncropped pattern element as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said material is a synthetic plastics material.
 5. An uncropped pattern element as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said means comprises at least one sheet of flexible sheet material wrapped round the pattern element.
 6. An uncropped pattern element as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flexible sheet material has adhesive on at least one surface for adhering the bits to the sheet.
 7. An uncropped pattern element as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flexible sheet material is a synthetic plastics material and has been caused to be adherent to the bits by heating the flexible sheet material.
 8. A method of preparing a pattern element comprising severable bits for a knitting machine, including the steps of causing bits of the element to adhere to means which hold them captive to the pattern element and will retain them after the bits have been severed from the pattern element, cropping bits on the pattern element, and subsequently removing the said retaining means to separate the cropped bits from the pattern element.
 9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the said means comprises a mouldable material and the method includes the step of introducing the mouldable material between the bits.
 10. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the said means comprises a moldable material and the method includes the step of embedding the bits in the mouldable material.
 11. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the moldable material is wax.
 12. A method as claimed in claim 11, including the step of heating the moldable material until it is sufficiently liquid to release the captive bits from the pattern element.
 13. A method as claimed in claim 11, including the step of dissolving or softening the moldable material by means of a solvent to cause it to release the captive bits from the pattern element.
 14. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the said means comprises at least one piece of flexible sheet material and the method includes the step of wrapping the piece round the pattern element.
 15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the flexible sheet material has adhesive on at least one surface for adhering the bits to the sheet.
 16. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the flexible sheet material is a synthetic plastics material and the bits are caused to adhere to the flexible sheet material by heating the flexible sheet material.
 17. A method as claimed in claim 14, including the step of tearing the flexible sheet material away from the cropped pattern element with the cropped bits adherent to it.
 18. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the moldable material is synthetic plastics material.
 19. A method as claimed in claim 18 including the step of heating the moldable material until it is sufficiently liquid to release the captive elements from the pattern element.
 20. A method as claimed in claim 18, including the step of dissolving or softening the moldable material by means of a solvent to cause it to release the captive bits from the pattern element. 